174 Westward Expansion: Supplemental Guide 8A | Working on the Transcontinental Railroad
For settlers and their families on the West Coast, I think the
transcontinental railroad will change lives a great deal.^18 Trains
will provide a faster and cheaper method of transportation
for goods and foodstuffs. People on the East Coast will now
be able to get goods from the West, and people in the West
can now get goods from the East more easily. Travel for
people who can afford the train will be more comfortable and
convenient, too. Of course, many people who cannot afford
train tickets will still have to use their wagons for travel.
Show image 8A-9: Wei writing in his journal
As for us workers, we felt as much excitement as we did
fatigue.^19 We set the record for laying the most miles of track
in one day. On that day, we worked from sunrise to sunset and
laid ten miles of track!^20 Today we’ve fi nally fi nished our work:
we’ve built a railroad that connects the East and West Coasts
of the United States. One day people will talk about all of the
business men who dreamed of this and started the Union
Pacifi c and Central Pacifi c Railroad companies. I hope they
talk about my fellow workers and me, too—the men who built
the railroad.18 How do you think the
transcontinental railroad changed
the lives of settlers? Listen carefully
to hear about some of the changes
the railroad brought.
19 or exhaustion
20 [Mention a location that is roughly
ten miles away from your school
to give students an idea of this
distance.] That was a lot of hard
work!